Page 45 - 5-29-15 Friday's Edition

2015 Graduates
Spelman Graduate Accepted To California Film School
TAYLOR RAYE CURRY
Family Uses Unique Method As Send Off For Graduate
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
When students graduate from high school it is an ex- citing time in their lives as well as the lives of their fam- ilies. Graduation is the re- ward for the years of preparation by the family.
Graduation is also an emotional time for the par- ents because they are not only experiencing “letting go,” but they have additional expenses as well.
Anthony and Maria Knight knew their daughter, Ronisha would graduate from King High School this year. The young lady has a 3.5 grade point average.
RONISHA HILL KNIGHT ... Leaving for school June 23rd
The young lady has ambi- tious plans for the future. When Ronisha arrives at Florida A & M University on June 23rd, she will carry with her special gifts from family
and friends wishing her suc- cess.
On Saturday, her family will host a “Trunk Party” for the enterprising young lady. They will have a cookout from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m., and those wishing Ronisha suc- cess will stop by, interact with the family, and contribute to her going away trunk.
Ronisha plans to attend FAMU as a Political Science major. Her next step is to at- tend law school and earn an- other degree. Once she has accomplished these goals, Ronisha wants to be an at- torney at the White House. And, if that doesn’t happen, she will settle with working for the federal government.
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
On May 17, Taylor Raye Curry graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Spelman College in Atlanta, GA.
Her mother, Casey Curry, an author, and Direc- tor of Creative Writing, synapse Literary Magazine Advisor, and Writer’s Ink Club Sponsor at Howard W. Blake School of the Arts, said Taylor has been accepted to the Film School at UCLA in Los Angeles. There she will pursue a four-year MFA (Masters in Fine Arts) in Film and Directing.
Taylor is the recipient of the Diversity Scholarship, and got full tuition paid and a $20,000 stipend for room and board and expenses for the first year.
Ms. Curry said Taylor’s 3-year-old sister died when she was five and she is the one she worried about the most.
“Taylor was angry and sad for a long time. Movies and books were her life for a while, but look at God.
“Taylor loved watching movies, and by the time she
turned 8, she’d seen ‘Roots’ and read a lot of books.”
Ms. Curry said Taylor talked about camera angles and the need to recognize special shots when she was very young.
“She has always wanted to measure up to her siblings who are also Spelman gradu- ates and went on to attend Ivy League schools for their Masters.
“They all grew up in a mil- itary family and every couple of years we found ourselves moving.”
Ms. Curry said Taylor, who is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Mu Pi), completed some short films and a documen- tary. Now, she hopes to have her own film studio and make movies that reflect the live history of African Americans.
“She’s only 21, and she understands she has a lot of years ahead of her.
“This will not be her first trip to California, so there will be no need for an adjust- ment period. She’ll be ready to go.”
Aside from being enrolled in film school, Ms. Curry said Taylor can really sing.
Point Average Not Allowed
Senior With 3.99 Grade
To Graduate With Honors
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
While most students are struggling just to complete middle school, one Tampa student was already enrolled in high school classes. She was proactive and ambitious and knew what she wanted out of life.
After years of studying and excelling, Taliyah Stewart began preparing for graduation last summer. She even took her graduation photographs wearing white as an Honor Graduate.
So, both Taliyah and her mother, Mrs. Tiffany Page were very disappointed when they recently learned that Taliyah would not be recog- nized as an Honor Graduate. The Hillsborough County School District requires that students have a grade point average of 4.0 for that desig- nation. Taliyah has a grade point average of 3.99.
Taliyah will graduate from Lennard High School on Friday afternoon with her class. During her tenure in high school, she has accumu- lated 31 credits while she only needs 24 credits to graduate and she is ranked in the top 20% of her graduating class.
At the graduation cere- mony, all of the students will wear orange gowns. How- ever, the Honor Graduates will wear a white shawl, a spokesperson for the Hills- borough County School Dis- trict said.
TALIYAH STEWART
... Has accumulated 31 credits
The spokesperson further said that the students’ grades are frozen in February so they should know their grade point averages at that time.
As for wearing all white, she said, “no one graduates in all white and they all wear black in the yearbook.”
Mrs. Page said, “We did- n’t find out about it until a month ago. She is the only student in this position and they can’t do anything about it.” Mrs. Page said she ques- tioned the issue and the school researched the infor- mation and found 3 students were in that position last year.
Mrs. Page said she spoke with her daughter’s Guidance Counselor and the Counselor told me that it wasn’t her job to make sure she graduates with honors, it was her job to make sure she graduates.
“She (Counselor) also said
if Taliyah had taken an on- line class, she could have in- creased her grade point average. But, she didn’t tell us until it was too late. The peo- ple at that school weren’t try- ing to help her get scholarships or anything.”
The fact that she won’t be graduating in white is the only dark cloud over her cele- bration. Nevertheless, Taliyah plans to attend Florida State University or Florida A & M University in the fall. She plans to major in Psychology and minor in So- ciology, her mother said.
When contacted by the Sentinel, School Board member Doretha Edge- comb said, “I understand the disappointment of the stu- dent and her family. I will look into the matter to insure that everything was done ap- propriately and in a timely manner.”
FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2015 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 23-C